What is the first quality about himself that God identifies? He says, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God” (Exodus 34:6). But what does “compassion” mean? The compassion of Jesus refers to deep feelings that originate in the stomach and pour out. For example, Jesus’ inward parts stirred deeply when he heard blind...

After Saul encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, Ananias came to instruct him. He said, “You must call on the name of the Lord,” to “baptize yourself” with the Holy Ghost (Acts 22:16, Lavender’s New Testament). According to Acts 26:16, we simultaneously receive the Pentecost power of the Holy Spirit and entire sanctification. Thus,...

There are three kinds of Christians. First, the true friend of God. Second, quid-pro-quo (i.e., “this for that”) followers motivated by selfishness or self interests. Third, those moved by the opinions of others and social demands. A true friend of God sides with Jesus against his own sin. His whole heart wants to honor Jesus....

Is your heart for Jesus undivided? The promise of the new covenant reads, “I will give them an undivided heart and a put a new spirit in them” (Ezekiel 11:19). This is the normal state of a person born again by grace. On the other hand, a person with a divided heart will participate in...

Do you need to be rescued? Jesus specializes in rescue operations. His heart is to rescue us from sin. As a result, by his grace, we may walk daily in ongoing justification and sanctification. But, like the prodigal son, we can enjoy riotous living and see no need for rescue. In this state, we are...

Waiting is a large part of the Christian life. And, unless you’re desperate about your need to quit sin and be holy, you won’t wait on God. Instead, you can casually waltz into the carnival of a modern church. Sanitized from any confrontation with the cross, this carnival will feature a pastor-huckster who will toss...

Jesus said to enter eternal life through the narrow gate. But did you know that you can knock at the gate and not receive an answer? This will happen if you knock but aren’t serious about your sin. Salvation begins not with kneeling at the cross, but the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Before we...

Did you go through the cross, or just kneel at it? Like John Bunyan’s characters Formalist and Hypocrisy, a Christian can avoid the cross and enter the narrow path via shortcut. This, however, is trespassing. It violates God’s revealed will that we die with Christ. How do you know if you’ve died with Christ? Simply,...